[UPDATED] Minnesota GOP Bans Rand from Ballot

Because of our article and the negative publicity, it generated MNGOP re-voted and will now be allowing write-ins. Here is some detail: Chairman Downey raised the issue of reconsidering the vote on write-ins. Randy Gilbert made the motion to reconsider, and Chris Fields seconded it. That motion passed. National Committeeman Chris Tiedeman made the motion to allow a ballot with write-ins and Chris Fields seconded it. That vote passed as well. The ballot for caucuses will include write-ins. If you called in to express displeasure about the previous vote, please do call or email to thank them for reconsidering the vote.

From our good friend Jim up in Minnesota, a loyal Rand Patriot and longtime political activist, we have this sad confirmation that the Minnesota Republican leadership has moved to strike Rand Paul’s name from their ballots. And as if that weren’t enough, they took the extra step also to ban write-in votes. Folks this does not at all seem to be in keeping with the American principles of free and open elections! The MnGOP ought to be ashamed of themselves. No wonder the GOP is stagnating and may very likely be destroyed from within if this sort of behavior keeps up. It is indeed time for a #NewGOP, a party that is for all Americans, not just rich old white men itching for war!

There is nothing in writing stating candidates must be ‘actively campaigning’ themselves. For well over a century, not a single presidential candidate ever got out on the “campaign trail”. William Jennings Bryan, who was the youngest man ever to win the Democratic nomination for President, at just 36 years old. The only one from Nebraska to be nominated by either major party in 1896 was also the very first to go on a cross-country whistle-stop campaign to carry his message directly to the public. Ironically the centerpiece of his platform was his famous “Cross of Gold” speech, which advocated for replacing gold with silver as the backing for our currency. I touched on this topic in a paper I wrote 2-3 years ago. It’s a rather lengthy academic paper written for a graduate seminar titled “A Vigorous Foreign Policy: Anti-Imperialism, the Press, and American History” which can be read here.

You can read a cliff notes version of this bit of political history at here.

Back to the present story at hand, here is the exact full text of a message sent out to all the campaigns by the MnGOP secretary exec, Melissa Hamilton:

Dear campaigns, As caucus season is heating up, I wanted to provide an important update regarding the Minnesota Straw Poll. Straw Poll Ballot We have found it necessary to revise the procedure for removing a candidate’s name from the MN Straw Poll ballot when a candidate suspends their campaign.Previously, the process was that the campaign must send a signed statement asking to have the candidate’s name removed from the ballot. Because of the understandable chaos that ensues when a campaign is suspended, we have had great difficulty getting the necessary documentation from staffers whose contact info may no longer work.

Previously, the process was that the campaign must send a signed statement asking to have the candidate’s name removed from the ballot. Because of the understandable chaos that ensues when a campaign is suspended, we have had great difficulty getting the necessary documentation from staffers whose contact info may no longer work.It is incumbent upon the Minnesota State Party to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the Minnesota Straw Poll ballot. Therefore, below is the procedure that will be used: A candidate’s name will be withdrawn from the ballot in one of two ways:

It is incumbent upon the Minnesota State Party to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the Minnesota Straw Poll ballot. Therefore, below is the procedure that will be used: A candidate’s name will be withdrawn from the ballot in one of two ways:

A) The campaign sends a signed, notarized document asking for the candidate’s name to be withdrawn. The document must be signed either by the candidate or by the person who originally signed the Straw Poll application. ORB) If a candidate makes a public announcement suspending their campaign and it is reported by national news outlets, (thus making the candidate ineligible to be on the MN Straw Poll ballot) MNGOP reserves the right to remove the candidate’s name from the Straw Poll ballot without a signed document.

B) If a candidate makes a public announcement suspending their campaign and it is reported by national news outlets, (thus making the candidate ineligible to be on the MN Straw Poll ballot) MNGOP reserves the right to remove the candidate’s name from the Straw Poll ballot without a signed document.The preliminary Straw Poll ballot will be released on February 15th, but will be updated as changes in the candidate pool occur. We will email you the ballot as it is released in

The preliminary Straw Poll ballot will be released on February 15th, but will be updated as changes in the candidate pool occur. We will email you the ballot as it is released in draft and final form. As always, please contact me with any questions.

Here’s Jim’s message in reply to this development:

Last night the entire state Mn GOP exec took a vote in the balloting for the CAUCUS NIGHT to NOT ALLOW Rand on the ballot and not allow WRITE-INS OR YOUR BALLOT IS SPOILED! This was done with the RNC and details have not yet been forthcoming, and this was done in semi-secrecy as usual. I challenge the leadership of [Keith] Downey and call for his resignation for thwarting the will of people by not allowing a “write in” choice, and call for work toward the taking down of such establishment hacks!

Folks for far too long, far too many of us have looked the other way and allowed the major party establishments and their mouthpieces in the mainstream media to pick and choose the candidates they have deemed to be viable. We here at RWR have one question.

Who the hell died and left them, GOD, & LORD MASTERS of our elections and political process?

As already shown more much of our history presidential candidates did almost no campaigning at all, and there were more than two parties in the political arena as well in a great many of our early elections. Competition and freedom of choice are two of the very hallmarks of our society. They are a large part of what set us apart from the rest of the world, and the reason so many people from other countries and cultures have sought their own taste of freedom and opportunity on our shores. Are we just going to give completely up on freedom of choice in one of the most important decisions we make every four years? WE SAY HELL NO!

We encourage all of our followers & friends, especially those from Minnesota to go to http://mngop.com/about/leadership/, and let them know what you think of their arbitrary move to ban Rand from the Minnesota caucus, or for that matter to arbitrarily anyone’s name on the ballot unless the campaign itself has specifically requested it be done.

It’s time to stand of the party hacks & let them know we’re watching, and we will not shut up & sit quietly while you wreck the country any longer!MnGOP Staff Directory

Related Articles

On Wednesday, December 20th, when asked by CNN what should be done about opioid abuse, Joe Manchin, the senior senator from West Virginia, said that “we need to declare war on drugs.” Apparently Senator Manchin is unaware that President Richard Nixon already declared war on drugs over four decades ago. But not everyone has forgotten. Congressman Justin […]

The Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) ruled today, September 16, 2016, that of the top presidential candidates, only two, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, will be invited to the first national presidential debate to be held on September 26 at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York. The Libertarian Presidential candidate, Gary Johnson, and the Green […]

According to an email shared on Wikileaks, Chris Stone suggested to John Podesta that Texas Republican Wallace Jefferson might make a good replacement for Justice Antonin Scalia, who had died that very day. Apparently, the two of them had discussed the idea that Jefferson would make a good replacement for Scalia on some prior occasion before […]